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As the Fifth Floor’s second annual holiday guest chef series approaches on the first week of December, it’s as good a time as any to chat with the man who orchestrated the dinners, Fifth Floor chef David Bazirgan.

This year’s lineup is totally different from last year’s quintet, but the theme is the same: each of the five chefs will pay homage to his or her heritage and holiday traditions.

Also, like last year, Bazirgan will contribute a few dishes each night within the visiting chef’s framework.

So for Ravi Kapur’s menu — a Hawaiian potluck, which is how his family celebrated — Kapur told Bazirgan about an oxtail soup with ginger; he’ll also do his riff on seared “foie gras” with spam made from duck breast. For Jason Fox’s modern take on Hanukkah, Bazirgan will do a wood pigeon with pastrami flavors, with caraway dumplings — almost a take on Matzoh ball soup, he says. And so on.

Listening to him talk about each of the chefs, it’s easy to see how Bazirgan — and his food — has ties to each one. Like Kapur, his food at the Fifth Floor draws freely from both classic European and Asian cuisines. He likes modern techniques, like Fox. Bazirgan cooked Moroccan and northern African food at his former job at Baraka. In addition to the Boston connection with Jamie Bissonnette, there’s offal love going on there. And of course, Barbara Lynch is a mentor.

Here’s what Bazirgan had to say about each chef, why he choose him/her to be part of the series, and what he admires in each of them:

On Ravi Kapur: “I admire his approach to cooking, and not to mention, he’s a really cool guy. For him to bring that local California approach with Hawaiian sensibility is so different. It’s a different melting pot. His upbringing has allowed him to have a lot of flavor profiles, whether it’s Chinese, the islands, Asian, Hawaiian. His technique is solid and he’s got a great palate. He knows he can grab from anywhere, but if you say, Ravi, I need a tight French menu for next week, he could do it.”

On Jason Fox: “I really like what he’s doing at Commonwealth. The name says it all; he’s cooking for the people, not himself. He’s not afraid to take chances either. He uses liquid nitrogen all over the place and isn’t afraid to push the envelope, especially in his location … It’s an awesome approach, and very inspiring food.”

On Mourad Lahlou: “Having never been to Morocco, but having opened up Baraka, I was able to research and cook with those flavors of north Africa. It’s home to some of the most underrated cuisines and flavors of the world. Those flavors sing to me. Aziza is one of my favorite restaurants in town. I think they have one of the best, if not the best, cocktail programs in the city, and as Mourad’s food gets more and more refined, the integrity and soul of heritage of his heritage is still there.”

On Jamie Bissonnette: “My goal is eventually be able to branch out and do what Chef Kostow does up north and get more people from out of town. It’s a budget issue, but having Jamie in is special. I had his food 12-13 years ago when he was chef de cuisine of Pigalle in Boston. His food now is more rustic, but amazing flavor profiles … He does a kickass brain ravioli, and this badass bone marrow pizza. He knows his offal. With nose to tail, he’s one of the best in the country.”

On Barbara Lynch: “Barbara hired me while I was still in culinary school, in 1995. I was her grand manger at Galleria Italia. It was a very small restaurant, where where she got Food & Wine Best New Chef a little later … Moving on to No 9 Park years later, she gave me a lot of creative freedom [as chef de cuisine]. We grew a lot together. We put a pasta tasting on the menu, a tasting menu, and evolved the restaurant … What do I admire about her? How she never settles. Everything she does is to be better, to always push herself. It’s just ‘OK, let’s get it done, let’s get it done.’ She’s the opposite of the devil’s advocate.”

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The menus for all five nights are currently online for your viewing pleasure, but if you’re lazy, they’re also available for your perusal here. Each seven-course menu will run $125, with optional wine pairings for an additional $75. Do note these are subject to change.